All Features

Mike Figliuolo
Nothing annoys me more than being told how to do something. It’s OK to have an opinion, but to position oneself as having the authority of an expert and tell others the right and wrong way to do something is a slippery slope. Unless you’re instructing someone on brain surgery, defusing a bomb, or…

Margaret Graziano
Dealing with troubling workplace environments can be difficult. It’s not always clear what the deeper issue is, and the friction and conflict that breeds can be tough to reverse.
At the heart of any organization are its people. Without a dedicated, aligned, and fully engaged workforce, no progress…

Graham Ward
In the workplace, we are often in a semidependent state. We seek approval and guidance from colleagues and superiors, all while hiding our deepest vulnerabilities.
Our insecurities drive us to seek external validation, which shapes our actions and decisions. In essence, we exhibit what…

Henning Piezunka, Sanghyun Park, Linus Dahlander
In the quest for groundbreaking solutions, businesses actively seek a wide range of distinct ideas. However, the suggestions they receive—whether from employees or external contributors—eventually end up being quite similar. Why does this happen?
Our research shows that businesses influence the…

Chris Caldwell
As the growth in fulfillment warehouses, e-commerce, and third-party logistics skyrockets, and unique customer demands evolve, more companies are exploring the concept of dark warehouses—fully automated, “lights-out” facilities that use intelligent, interconnected devices to operate without human…

Dawn Bailey
During the recent celebration of Manufacturing Day, thousands of U.S. manufacturers showcased the realities of modern manufacturing to students as a way to inspire the next generation.
The importance of this can’t be overemphasized. During the next decade, four million U.S. manufacturing jobs will…

Brent Simpson
When people work for discriminatory managers, they put in less effort. That’s true whether managers are biased against them or when they’re biased in their favor, according to a new paper that Nicholas Heiserman of Oklahoma State University and I have published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour…

Mike Figliuolo
It’s not worth getting upset over little things (or even big things) at work. Being hotheaded gets you nowhere. Just know that karma eventually works everything out.
Perspective and patience: It’s a challenge, especially in a lightning-fast business world filled with Type A’s, Cro-Magnons, and…

Gad Allon
Amazon’s incredible growth over the years has made it a textbook example of what it means for a business to scale, going from a scrappy startup in Jeff Bezos’ garage to a multinational corporation with more than 1.5 million employees.
The retailer recently announced it’s hiring 250,000 full- and…

Jón Bergsteinsson
Clinical investigations play an important role in your journey of bringing a medical device to market. While the relevant standards are often perceived as difficult and complex, having a good grasp of them makes the process less confusing.
Understanding ISO 14155:2020 is essential. It’s a guide to…

Mike Figliuolo
Most companies fail due to dumb mistakes made by senior managers. The biggest mistake of all: a hubristic unwillingness to accept that there’s plenty you don’t already know.
As we get more senior in our organizations, we get a lot smarter. Our wisdom grows. We understand the business better than…

Jones Loflin
Okay, so I’m a little—actually, very—late to the whole #sharktanknation. Shark Tank first aired in 2009, and I’m almost ashamed to say I’d never watched an episode until last year. Interestingly enough, after watching just one episode I was hooked.
In case you aren’t familiar with this “structured…

Gleb Tsipursky
In an era when flexibility and autonomy are requirements, financial services leaders are ready to break the chains of traditional office norms. The results of a recent Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence survey make it clear: The future of the financial services sector is hanging in the balance,…

Donna McGeorge
Nano Tools for Leaders—a collaboration between Wharton Executive Education and Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management—are fast, effective tools that you can learn and start using in less than 15 minutes, with the potential to significantly improve your success.
The goal
Invest your…

Phil Chadderdon
Workforce challenges these days are never-ending, not just for manufacturers but across the business spectrum. You have to be on top of your game to be successful building a talent pipeline, recruiting and hiring, onboarding and training, creating an engaging workplace culture, and promoting career…

Angie Basiouny
If you want to brag about your accomplishments at work without sounding self-absorbed, take a lesson from professional athletes.
From the sidelines and at postgame press conferences, the most admired players talk about their own performance but always mention the strength of their opponents, the…

Paul Laughlin
It was via my professional body (the European Mentoring and Coaching Council) that I heard of the second edition of The Mentoring Manual. This is the latest book from globally recognized coaching and mentoring author Julie Starr.
Having heard Julie speak at the Wales Coaching Conference, I knew…

Rob Moorey
Growing medical equipment inventories and increasing technical complexity are demanding more than ever from the clinical engineering teams responsible for maintaining clinical assets. Simultaneously, a shrinking talent pool of biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) could lead to large staffing…

Stephanie Ojeda
In December 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expects to issue its long-awaited overhaul of its Quality System Regulation (QSR). The biggest change is that the new Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR) will harmonize with ISO 13485 for medical device quality management. With…

Harry Hertz
I enjoy solving puzzles! I start each morning by doing at least two New York Times puzzles, Wordle, and Connections. My wife and sons and their spouses do the same, although not necessarily as part of their early-morning routine (except on weekends). We have a texting thread where we each report…

Mike Figliuolo
Have you ever met someone who was fired from their job? I’ll bet you $50 they said, “Yeah, I never saw it coming.” For some reason, getting canned always comes as a shock to people. They’re clueless as to how bad they’re doing and how close to the door they are.
Makes you wonder: Are you close to…

Ron Soonieus
Driven by geopolitical uncertainty, trade risks, and new technologies such as generative AI, the most profound business transformation in 50 years is underway. Alongside these factors, pressures from regulators and stakeholders are mounting around the reporting, transparency, and accountability of…

Tim Heston
At Metalworks Inc.’s main plant in Lincoln, Nebraska, co-founders Rob Ernesti and Doug Swanson walked past a new punch/laser system being tested, complete with part removal and stacking automation. It’s one piece of a value stream dedicated to a family of parts. They next walked by a row of small…

ISO
Healthcare administrators find themselves at the fore of a demanding and transformative field, where the pursuit of excellence in patient care is nonnegotiable. In a health industry landscape facing evolving regulations, escalating costs, and an increasing emphasis on patient outcomes, the need for…

Matt Fieldman
When I first started at MAGNET (part of the Ohio MEP) in 2015, I walked into my new office and saw a white paper sitting on my desk. In it, our former board chair Felix Brueck outlined how we could adapt the German apprenticeship model of workforce development to Northeast Ohio and reap real…